Brad Hunter
Brad Hunter is a fictional character from Zoids: New Century. A member of the Blitz Team, he is one of the main characters. Overview Brad Hunter is a mercenary who works for the Blitz Team. He made his debut fighting alongside Leon and Leena Toros against the Tigers Team. Brad began the series piloting a blue Command Wolf LC, but later upgraded it to an AC variant. When Bit Cloud first joined their team, Brad often doubted the young junk dealer's skill and dismissed him as an amateur, but later came to befriend him. After the destruction of his Command Wolf in episode 20, Brad would pilot the Backdraft Group's Shadow Fox for the remainder of the series, helping to hold off the Berserk Fury while Bit rearmed his Liger during the Royal Cup. Manga Brad features in the New Century manga. He plays a similar role as the anime, although no mention is made of him being a mercenary. There are also many omissions in the manga; for example, despite being shown on the fourth page, Brad's name isn't mentioned until chapter 3. He initially pilots a Command Wolf, but the Shadow Fox is shown briefly (it is never used in combat). Brad proves instrumental in defeating Pierce and Raid's Storm Sworders in chapter 3, where he uses flares to impede their vision. Personality Brad has a rather laid-back attitude, often seen lying around or leaning against the wall when nothing is happening, but displays determination in battle. He is on good terms with everyone in the Blitz Team, and while he initially dismissed Bit as an amateur, he soon became friends with him as well. Due to his mercenary nature, in certain situations he will only do something if he's paid (an example being in episode 4 where he only partook in the battle against the Backdraft Group to save Leena after Steve Toros promised him Bit's pay cheque from the next battle and yet another example in episode 21 where he had to be enticed with extra prize money to mount the Blitz Team's recently-purchased Buster Cannon on his Shadow Fox). Brad and Naomi Fluegel develop feelings for each other early in the series, and these feelings carry on throughout the entire series. Appearance Brad Hunter is often seen wearing a long, sleeveless blue outfit with a turn-up collar. He wore brown gloves, black pants and long black boots with this outfit. When Brad is not in a battle, his leisure outfit consists of a greyish-blue vest over a blue singlet and tan pants. He has long, brown spiky hair and blue eyes that match his clothes. He also seems to have gold bands tattooed around his biceps. Ability as a Zoid Pilot Throughout the series, Brad is shown to favour mobility. Though he has found himself pinned down at times, he also shows a remarkable resiliency, rarely receiving system freezes. In the early portion of the series, Brad upgrades his Command Wolf to use the cannon's longer range to great success and adjusted the Zoid's speed to compensate for the extra weight, showcasing not only a well-rounded Zoid, but a well-rounded pilot. Brad's skills are often masked behind his demeanour. Brad is heavily influenced by his role as a mercenary, and his best piloting displays come when offered money or other rewards. He doesn't strike a brilliant performance during the pilot rankings trials, this may be due to his pre-existing dislike of the Trials or the lack of a monetary reward. However, when faced with the prospect of piloting the Shadow Fox, he is shown to be more than capable of mastering it. Passing all the trials imposed on him by Laon, and achieving proficiency with the Shadow Fox beyond what the backdraft pilots had been capable of until that point. He is show to be a substantial threat to the Blitz Team when piloting the Shadow Fox, taking down Leena, Jamie, and holding off Bit while fighting three-on-one. He is show to be willing to accept different styles of combat, given the right incentives (money), at one point he equips the Shadow Fox with a long range Buster Cannon after being offered a substantial sum to do so. In battle, Brad has a tendency to sustain heavy damage and yet remain standing, lining up for surprise attacks while the foe is distracted by Bit. This has worked to his favour numerous times in the series. In addition to his ability to weaken, if not defeat, opponents this way, it's been his means of focusing attention onto himself, a move which creates a window of opportunity for Leena to reload, Bit to change Liger Zero's armor, or anything else that would allow for his team's victory as well as his accumulation of personal points. Relationships Brad has the following relationships with these people: Bit: While he was initially skeptical of the idea of a junk dealer joining his team, Brad eventually became friends and comrades with Bit Cloud, though he often interjects into Bit's business, usually being drawn in with the incentive of prize money, and disregarding Bit's personal situations. Leena: Brad's stingy personality frequently clashes with Leena's over issues such as focusing on ammo conservation or personal points in battle. Leon: Before he left the team, Leon appeared to have a good friendship with Brad. Dr. Toros: Brad often reminds the Doc to remember his pay, but all in all continues to respect him as the team's manager. Jamie: Brad is good friends with Jamie, although he does not always follow his strategies in battle, sometimes preferring to work on his own tactics. Naomi: When they first fought, Naomi took out his Zoid easily, causing Brad to get frustrated, but they began to develop feelings after Brad saved her from the Sand Stingray gang. Brad even offered to team up with her if he defeated her during their match in the Royal Cup (which he promptly does). Zoids Legacy Database Entry :"B. Hunter. A freelance warrior. Pretends to be a stingy man, but his heart is pure and gentle. Employed by the Blitz Team." Trivia *Brad's last name was never revealed in the anime, but supporting materials, such as Zoids Legacy and his New Century DVD profile, have listed it as Hunter. *Brad doesn't like carrots, saying in episode 22 that they are "rabbit food." *In Zoids: Battle Legends, his name is listed as "Ballad Hunter." *Brad's name is listed as "Barad" on the box of his HMM Command Wolf model kit. *Brad's English Voice Actor also performs several other minor roles, such as Sebastian and Malloy Dralles from Zoids: Fuzors Sort Category:Zoids Anime Category:Zoids characters Category:New Century characters Category:Blitz Team members